SA EXCLUSIVE: Tomb Raider director and producer on why Alicia Vikander was perfect for the role

On 5 March, Channel24 flew to London to meet the cast and crew of the adventure film, Tomb Raider. Kirstin Buick spoke to director Roar Uthaug and producer Graham King about the brand-new Lara, the nitty-gritties of the action-packed new film and why Cape Town was the best place to shoot it.

London - Stepping into Lara Croft’s boots was no easy task – but the producer and director of the new Tomb Raider movie are adamant: Alicia Vikander was the only woman for the job.

“This is the kind of movie I grew up loving and I’ve always dreamt about making,” Norwegian-born director Roar Uthaug tells Channel24 when we meet him at the swish Corinthian Hotel in the heart of London. 

“Lara Croft is such a cool and iconic character. I just feel really lucky to be able to make this movie,” he adds.

For Roar, it was Alicia’s vulnerability that brought some heart to the action-packed film.

“It’s really important in a big action-adventure movie like this that you have a relatable character and that you have an emotional connection to them,” Roar explains. 

“And I think the depth of Alicia’s acting is just fantastic. She really brings humanity to the character, and I think that’s important when you’re in the middle of all that spectacle that you really root and care for the character.”

Getting Alicia to play the iconic role was a lucky break too, producer Graham King reveals in his interview.

When he first approached Alicia about the role, he didn’t even mention the protagonist was Lara Croft, at first pitching it as the story of a girl who goes searching for her missing father. 

"We had a screenplay and we had a story that needed somebody like her, to bring her groundedness to it. To make it real. To really be accessible to an audience. Becoming a Lara Croft slowly over time… that transformation had to be believable. She was our first choice."

WATCH FULL THE INTERVIEW HERE:

Tomb Raider opens in SA cinemas on Friday, 16 March. 

ALSO READ: We tried to escape a tomb like Lara Croft and this is what happened!

*Disclaimer: Channel24's trip to London was sponsored by Warner Bros.